The veteran actor is approaching his century of films, with his 99th flick titled as Dictator

Balakrishna aka Balayya is one of the biggest superstars in Telugu cinema. Not only his films set the box office on fire, his last film Legend completed 5o days at the box office. As the revered star inches towards the milestone of 100 films, he is being paired up with big names in South Indian cinema.

After being paired up with Trisha in his untitled 98th film, Balakrishna is all set to romance Nayantara onscreen in his 99th film, titled Dictator. “The plan is to release it during Dussehra. Nayantara has been paired with Balakrishna, while Sriwass will helm the project. The film will be shot in Hyderabad, Delhi and Europe on a lavish budget of about Rs 40 crore,” said a source close to the film.

Earlier, Nayantara and Balayya had been paired twice in Simhaa and Sri Rama Rajayam, and their chemistry is expected to scorch the screen yet again in Dictator. The film will be helmed by Sriwass who has given two back to back hits – Lakshyam and Loukyam. With the details of his 99th film announced, it won’t be long before Balakrishna achieves the mean feat of century of films.

The Gopala Gopala actress has proved time and again that she can dazzle you with both her oomph and elegance

It is quite a story how Shriya Saran landed into films. As a teenager, the lovely lass was into Kathak. On insistence of her dance teacher, she was invited to appear in the music video of Renoo Nathan’s Thirakti Kyun Hawa. Shot in Banaras, the video was seen by Ramoji Films who offered her the lead role of Neha in their film Ishtam. This had set the ball rolling for the Shriya Saran‘s illustrious career which has not only sustained but flourished for nearly 13 years now.

Since her debut in 2001, the sexy diva has never looked back and went to reign Telugu and Tamil film industries. The actress has been paired opposite many big names in Tollywood and Kollywood with the likes of Rajinikanth, Balakrishna, Vijay, Prabhas, Nagarjuna to name a few. Over the years the popularity of the sensuous babe has soared to great heights, thanks to her unique mixture of raw talent and sensuality. While the actress has proved her mettle by giving commendable performance in films like Pokkiri Raja and Manam, she has never shied away from revealing her sexy side.

Be it sarees, lehengas, dresses or bikinis, Shriya Saran looks hot in all. She has barely ever failed to impress us with her appearances for events or photoshoot for the covers of popular magazines. While her personal dressing style is generally safe, she doesn’t shy away from experimenting once in a while.

Shriya is known for her bold avatar from multiple films. Infact she spiced up her Tamil debut film Mazhai with her oomph. The sexy actress has dared to bare it all as she had done quite a few bareback topless photoshoots. Shriya set the temperatures soaring when she sported the black lingerie for Maxim cover photoshoot. She has donned bikini in few of her movies scorching the big screen with her sensuality. Many even consider Shriya Saran to be the most daring actress not only in Tollywood and Kollywood but in Bollywood too.

We have to give it to the sexy siren for pulling off bold avatars with great sensuality without being vulgar. This hottie can give even Sunny Leone a run for her money.

After Power star and Balayya did their best to put a smile on faces of terminally children, it was Mega star’s turn to fulfill the wishes of a die hard fan. Here’s why I think that Tollywood’s biggies are trying to garner publicity under the context of touching the lives of their fans

In span of just a month, three of the biggest stars of Telugu cinema – Pawan Kalyan, Balakrishna and Chiranjeevi, followed a similar suit as all of them met their terminally ill fans, giving the ailing patients enough reason to smile. Yesterday, on the occasion of Christmas, a terminally ill child named Balu received the best Christmas gift as he met his favourite superstar Chiranjeevi in person.

After hearing that Balu was his die hard fan and was fighting cancer, Chiranjeevi took time off his schedule to meet the ailing child. As expected, the child was really happy to see Mega star Chiru. Chiranjeevi said,” It is very saddening that such a small child is suffering from cancer. I pray God that the child will be recovered from his illness soon.”

If media reports are to be believed, the children who met Pawan Kalyan and Balakrishna recovered from their illness after they met the superstars. While these stars cast a spell on their fans onscreen, it looks like their onscreen magic has descended to real life too as their magic touch seemed to have healed the kids. At least, that is what these stars want to project.

The Legend star who is busy shooting his untitled Telugu project with Trisha took time off to meet his ailing ardent fan

In a country where our film stars are worshiped and treated as Gods, it is no wonder that meeting these stars in real life causes immense joy to the fans. After Pawan Kalyan obliged to his terminally ill fan’s request to meet him, it was Balakrishna aka Balayya’s turn to make a difference.

Recently, it was reported that Balayya had gone the extra mile to meet an ardent fan of his, Sravani, who is recovering from leukaemia. It is said that 12 year old Sravani from Narasaraopeta, was availing treatment for cancer in Hyderabad. It was the little girl’s wish to meet her favourite superstar Balakrishna. So when Balayya got to know about Sravani’s wish, he obliged to the ailing girl’s request as he spent time with Sravani .

Sources report that Sravani has a new found zest in life and has achieved great morale boost, thanks to Balayya’s kind hearted gesture. It is really endearing to see the stars meeting the needy and putting smiles on their faces.

The Yennai Arindhaal actress shared selfies with Balayya on Twitter

Being in the film industry for more than a decade and emerging as one of the most bankable stars, Trisha Krishnan has been linked up to lot of co-stars over the years, which is a part and parcel of an actresses life. While there are rumours of Trisha dating Rana Daggubati, the Mankatha actress got into trouble when she chose Ajith over Vijay, as her favourite co-star.

Looks like Thala Ajith has got competition. Recently, the Yennai Arindhaal hottie posted a selfie along with her co-star, superstar Balakrishna, from the sets of her Telugu film. Praising Balayya, Trisha tweeted,”Uber cool,multi-talented n one of d nicest people Iv worked wit”. The picture shows Balayya’s quirky antics as both the stars posed in dark shades for a selfie.

Trisha seems to be having a blast at the sets of her Telugu film along side Balayya. Has Legend actor replaced Thala as Trisha’s favourite actor?

While the plot is wafer thin, it is the comic timing of 1:Nenokkadine star which keeps the proceedings interesting

With the fanfare surrounding Srinu Vaitla’sAagadu, one can safely say that a Mahesh Babu film is nothing short of a festival for his devout fans. Aagadu opens today to sky high expectations thanks to the terrific promos and trailers. The combo of director Srinu Vaitla and Mahesh Babu is expected to rock the viewers as they did with Dookudu in 2011. The film is said to be a parody of mass hero flicks in Telugu cinema, which has intrigued fans and critics alike. Lets cut short the chase and go to the review.

What’s it about:

Aagadu tells the story of a circle inspector, Encounter Shankar, played by Prince Mahesh Babu, who is transferred in town to nab the king pin of illegal activities Dhamu, played by Sonu Sood. Shankar is not your normal tough cop, but is clever and cunning enough to play with his prey before hunting it down. Tamannaah plays a sweet shop owner, who floors our hero and a series of events lead to the two getting hitched. While Shankar, using his wit, closes all the small illegal businesses run by Dhamu, his eyes are on shutting the big power plant project taken care by Dhamu. A series of flashback reveals that Dhamu was the reason behind the suicide of Shankar’s collector brother and his wife. How does Shankar plot his revenge against Dhamu forms the rest of the story.

What’s good:

From the moment the film opens, you know that its going to be one man show of Mahesh Babu, who owns the screen with his sheer charisma. The actor seems to be in his element pulling off atrociously funny dialogues with such panache that will leave you in awe. Dookudu star fights and emotes well too but it his tongue in cheek dialogue delivery and energetic body language that stays with you even after the film is over. His chemistry with Tamannaah is worth mentioning as both the stars look convincing in romantic sequences. Tamannaah does a decent job in a small role. All the actors have performed brilliantly, raising the bar of comedy to new heights. The references to Mahesh Babu’s previous blockbusters like Dookudu, Okkadu, Pokkiri etc are outright hilarious. There is a 10 minute long game show parody sequence which is surely the highlight of Aagadu. The songs from SS Thaman are entertaining, without interrupting the flow of the film. Shruti Haasan’s item number is the high point of the film as the doe eyed beauty sizzles along with Mahesh. Director Srinu Vaitla deserves a pat in the back for beefing up a wafer thin plot with a barrage of comical sequences, which mostly hits the bulls eye. Brahmanadam’s dance medley towards the climax where he apes Allu Arjun, Ram Charan and Balakrishna will leave you rolling on the floor with laughter.

What’s bad:

While the film has a crackerjack of a first half, the film falters a bit in the second half as the revenge story kicks in. The emotional scenes between Mahesh Babu and his father could have been avoided, as it brings down the energy of the film. Also, there are not many twists to keep the proceedings interesting, as you feel the makers have heavily relied on comedy to sail the film through. One feels that ace comedian Brahmanandam has not been utilised to his potential. The film’s climax is predictable and looks abrupt. It would have been nicer if more thought was put on the script rather than the comic bits.

What to do?

Aagadu deserves one time watch due to its witty, rib tickling dialogues and Mahesh Babu’s amazing screen presence. If you are looking for a fun time and don’t mind watching a typical masala film until its entertaining, Aagadu is the movie for you. Watch it for Mahesh Babu’s bindaas attitude!

The ace comedian is rumoured to be doing a parody on big stars in Mahesh Babu’s next film

Its been nearly three decades since funny man Brahmanandam had entered Tollywood. And yet, he is as funny and entertaining as he was back then. The actor seldom fails to fire with his lucid expressions and impeccable comic timing. Brahmi, who is a must in every Telugu film these days, is all set to crack jokes on some big names in Tollywood in Mahesh Babu-Tamannaah-Sonu Sood starrer Aagadu.

Rumour has it that the actor will be seen mocking Ram Charan Teja’s Racha, Balakrishna’s Legend and Allu Arjun’s Race Gurram. Aagadu director Srinu Vaitla is known for his sarcastic humour on Tollywood’s mass hero flicks and punch dialogue culture. The collaboration of the two may lead to a hilarious laugh riot, as Brahmi more often than not hits the bulls eye with his comic timing. That’s not all, a little birdie tells us that the star comedian will also feature in the item song picturised on Shruti Haasan and Mahesh Babu.

Aagadu has already irked Pawan Kalyan fans with its teaser and now with parody on top stars in the cards, we hope that Brahmi and Srinu Vaitla don’t add to the woes of the film by enraging the fans of the above mentioned stars.

Makers suggests that it took two years to complete the legendary film

Late Kannada superstar Rajkumar’s 1971 classic Kasturi Nivasa has been digitally restored in colour, says producer K.C.N. Mohan, who is planning to release the film in August in cinemas.

Mohan is the son of K.C.N. Gowda, who originally produced the film.

“My father wanted to release Kasturi Nivasa in colour and when he started work on it, he unfortunately passed away. I’ve taken up the responsibility of releasing the colour version of the film in digital format. We plan to release it in August,” Mohan told IANS.

“It took us two years to complete the film and give it a new look. It was extremely challenging because you have to look into every frame, convert it from negative to digital format. Songs had to be converted into digital as well. It was like making a new film,” he added.

Directed by Dorai-Bhagavan, the film tracks the story of a generous man and the problems he faces due to his generosity.

The film also features Narasimharaju, Balakrishna, K.S. Ashwath and Jayanthi in lead roles.

On the occasion of India’s Barbie doll’s birthday, we bring you five best songs of the birthday gal from South Indian cinema

Katrina Kaif may be the most sought after heroine of B-town in recent years. But did you know the Dhoom 3 chick has a South connection? Before tasting success in Hindi films, back in 2004 Katrina’s debut Telugu film Malliswari with Venkatesh was a huge hit. Before her Chikini chameli days, the pretty lass had did some hot numbers down south.

Bollywoodlife takes you on flashback mode to witness Katrina in action from Telugu and Malayalam movies:

Gundello gulabila mullu from Malliswari

Malliswari was Katrina’s first film in Tollywood. Cast opposite Venkatesh, Katrina stole millions of hearts with her fresh face, lovely smile and svelte figure. The Bang Bang diva’s beach song Gundello gulabila mullu is one of her sexiest song from the film. Ms Kaif looks ravishing in the songs and grabs our attention with her sexy dance moves. The hottie set the temperatures soaring as she emerges from the sea looking drop dead gorgeous.

Chinuku laga from Allari Pidugu

After receiving a rousing welcome in Tollywood, Katrina signed a film opposite Balakrishna titled Allari Pidugu. The song Chinuku laga where she shook her leg with Balki is probably one of the hottest songs from Telugu cinema and certainly hottest Katrina song from South. The sexy kitten didn’t show any signs of discomfort on dancing with an older star.

Mallelona Illeyarra from Allari Pidugu

This song with Balakrishna was sexy Sheila‘s first song on the ice caped mountains of Switzerland. Katrina Kaif stands out in the song with her seductive moves and proved that a woman can look hot even with minimal skin show.

Nee navvule vennelani mallelani from Malliswari

This song is one of the first saree clad songs of Katrina Kaif. The Ek Tha Tiger babe looked ravishing in the yellow and blue sarees, proving that she can pull off traditional dresses in style.

Mathappove from Balram Vs Tharadas

The Kamli babe had the honour of being cast opposite to big hero like Mammooty in her first Malyalam movie. Katrina displayed her dancing skills in this party song looking like a cute girl next door.

As the veteran actor turns 54 today, we bring you Nandamuri Balakrishna aka Balayya’s five best films spanning from his four decades long career

Born on June 10,1960 in the household of yesteryear Telugu superstar NT Rama Rao, Nandamuri Balakrishna was the sixth son to the matinee idol NTR. At the adolescent age of just 14 years, Balakrishna made his debut through the 1974 Telugu film Tatamma Kala.

Balakrishna is lovingly called as Balayya by his fans. Having acted in 97 films till date, Balakrishna holds the record of being the second Tollywood star after late Akkineni Nageshwara Rao, whose careers have spanned for nearly four decades. The incredible actor had the tendency to do churn out superhits after superhits like Muvva Gopaludu and Lorry Driver to name a few. Born in a family were politics and cinema go hand in hand, Balayya entered politics and has won the recently concluded 2014 Legislative elections for TDP from Hindupura.

On the occasion of his 54th birthday, Bollywoodlife brings you five of his best films:

Mangammagari Manavadu

Mangammagari Manavadu was the 1984 film which established the young Balakrishna as a mass hero. The musical film was the first of many films for Balakrishna which completed Silver Jubliee. The film was widely appreciated by the public, as it ran for for 100 days in Karnataka and 332 days in Hyderabad and 500 above days in a theater in Guntur and 1000 above days in a theater in Macherla.

Samarasimha Reddy

The 1990 blockbuster Samarasimha Reddy starring Balakrishna was one of the biggest films of the year. The film had 227 days long run at the box office. And Balakrishna was touted to be the heir of super stardom legacy which his father NT Rama Rao had left.

Aditya 369

Aditya 369 is a 1991 historical, science fiction Telugu film directed by Veteran Singeetam Srinivasa Rao starring Balakrishna in a memorable role. This rare scifi film is a proof that Balayya,though a commercial hero, liked to experiment with his role.

Nari Nari Naduma Murari

This film was Balakrishna’s 50th film in Tollywood. This Telugu comedy drama about family disputes had enough scope for Balayya to prove his mettle as an actor. And the Legend star did not disappoint.

Lakshmi Narasimha

Next in the list is relatively new film, Lakshmi Narasimha which was a 2004 remake of hit Tamil film Samy. As an unconventional cop Balayya shines and its effect was clearly seen in the box office as the film went on to make Rs 25 crores. Lakshmi Narasimha had the distinction to be the first Telugu film to be released in Netherlands.

The Legend star Balayya has recently signed a film with queen of Kollywood Trisha. Looks like the star and his fans surely want him to complete a century of movies as he has currently appeared in 97 films. We wish Balayya a very happy birthday and hope he scales great heights in his cine and political career.